4x Life

One month in pop history, every week.

It’s May, 1972

Written by

Thomas Scovell

in

A busy week/end so it’s straight into the songs of May, 1972…

Songs of the month

  • “A Cowboy’s Work Is Never Done” – Sonny And Cher
  • “A Horse With No Name” – America
  • [new] “Ain’t That Loving You” – Isaac Hayes And David Porter
  • [new] “Ain’t Wastin’ Time No More” – Allman Brothers Band
  • [new] “An American Trilogy” – Elvis Presley
  • [new] “Ask Me What You Want” – Millie Jackson
  • “Baby Blue” – Badfinger
  • “Back Off Boogaloo” – Ringo Starr
  • “Betcha By Golly Wow” – Stylistics
  • [new] “Changes” – David Bowie
  • [new] “Day By Day” – Godspell
  • “Day Dreaming” – Aretha Franklin
  • [new] “Diary” – Bread
  • “Doctor My Eyes” – Jackson Browne
  • [new] “Don’t Want To Say Goodbye” – Raspberries
  • “First Time Ever I Saw Your Face” – Roberta Flack
  • [new] “Francene” – Zz Top
  • [new] “Giving Up” – Donny Hathaway
  • “Heart Of Gold” – Neil Young
  • [new] “Hot N Nasty” – Humble Pie
  • “Hot Rod Lincoln” – Commander Cody & Lost Planet Airmen
  • [new] “How Do You Do” – Mouth And Macneal
  • [new] “I Can’t Turn You Loose” – Edgar Winter’s White Trash
  • [new] “I Didn’t Get To Sleep At All” – 5Th Dimension
  • “I Gotcha” – Joe Tex
  • [new] “I Had It All The Time” – Tyrone Davis
  • [new] “I Saw The Light” – Todd Rundgren
  • “I’ll Take You There” – Staple Singers
  • “In The Rain” – Dramatics
  • [new] “It’s Going To Take Some Time” – Carpenters
  • [new] “Jubilation” – Paul Anka
  • “Jump Into The Fire” – Nilsson
  • [new] “Layla” – Derek And The Dominos
  • [new] “Life And Breath” – Climax
  • [new] “Little Bitty Pretty One” – Jackson 5
  • [new] “Living In A House Divided” – Cher
  • “Look What You’ve Done For Me” – Al Green
  • [new] “Love Theme From The Godfather” – Nino Rota
  • “Me And Julio Down By The Schoolyard” – Paul Simon
  • [new] “Me Andulio Down By The Schoolyard” – Paul Simon
  • “Morning Has Broken” – Cat Stevens
  • [new] “Nice To Be With You” – Gallery
  • “Oh Girl” – Chi-Lites
  • [new] “Outa Space / I Wrote A Simple Song” – Billy Preston
  • [new] “Powder Blue Mercedes Queen” – Raiders
  • “Puppy Love” – Donny Osmond
  • [new] “Questions” – Bang
  • “Rockin’ Robin” – Michael Jackson
  • “Run Run Run” – Jo Jo Gunne
  • “Slippin’ Into Darkness” – War
  • [new] “Song Sung Blue” – Neil Diamond
  • [new] “Speak Softly Love” – Al Martino
  • “Suavecito” – Malo
  • [new] “Superwoman” – Stevie Wonder
  • [new] “Sylvia’s Mother” – Dr. Hook And The Medicine Show
  • [new] “Taxi” – Harry Chapin
  • [new] “Telegram Sam” – T. Rex
  • “The Candy Man” – Sammy Davis Jr.
  • “The Family Of Man” – Three Dog Night
  • “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face” – Roberta Flack
  • [new] “The Young New Mexican Puppeteer” – Tom Jones
  • [new] “Troglodyte” – Jimmy Castor Bunch
  • [new] “Tumbling Dice” – Rolling Stones
  • [new] “Upsetter” – Grand Funk Railroad
  • “Vincent / Castles In The Air” – Don Mclean
  • [new] “Walkin’ In The Rain With The One I Love” – Love Unlimited
  • [new] “We’re Free” – Beverly Bremers
  • [new] “Woman Is The Nigger Of The World” – John Lennon
  • [new] “Woman’s Gotta Have It” – Bobby Womack
  • [new] “You Said A Bad Word” – Joe Tex
  • [new] “You’re The Man” – Marvin Gaye

[new] = New to the chart this week.

You can listen to the full playlist on Youtube via this link.

This month in history

On the 10th in a referendum, voters in Ireland overwhelmingly approved the Accession Treaty for Ireland to join the European Community. Five out of six (1,041,880 to 211,888) voted yes on a constitutional amendment. And for that reason I still get to be a citizen of the EU despite Brexit… Thanks!

Then on the 16th the first financial derivatives exchange, the International Monetary Market (IMM), opened on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange. With greater fluctuation of currency exchange rates, the IMM opened a new era in trading by allowing purchase of futures on three currencies. The first trades were for the British pound, the Deutschmark, and the Japanese yen.

And on the 28th the Watergate burglars succeeded in their second attempt to break into the Democratic National Committee offices at the Watergate complex in Washington, D.C., placing wiretaps on two telephones, and escaping undetected. When it became clear that the “bug” on DNC Chairman Larry O’Brien was not working, the men broke in again three weeks later and were caught. The botched June 17, 1972, burglary was the beginning of the Watergate scandal that eventually led to Nixon’s resignation as President of the United States.

What’d Sadie think?

Three weeks at the top for”First Time Ever I Saw Your Face” by Roberta Flack before the Chi-Lites round out the month with “Oh Girl”.

Loved ’em

  • “Changes” – David Bowie
  • “Diary” – Bread
  • “Francene” – Zz Top
  • “I Didn’t Get To Sleep At All” – 5Th Dimension
  • “I Saw The Light” – Todd Rundgren
  • “It’s Going To Take Some Time” – Carpenters
  • “Layla” – Derek And The Dominos
  • “Little Bitty Pretty One” – Jackson 5
  • “Living In A House Divided” – Cher
  • “Me Andulio Down By The Schoolyard” – Paul Simon
  • “Telegram Sam” – T. Rex

Liked ’em

  • “Ain’t That Loving You” – Isaac Hayes And David Porter
  • “Ain’t Wastin’ Time No More” – Allman Brothers Band
  • “An American Trilogy” – Elvis Presley
  • “Ask Me What You Want” – Millie Jackson
  • “Day By Day” – Godspell
  • “Don’t Want To Say Goodbye” – Raspberries
  • “Hot N Nasty” – Humble Pie
  • “How Do You Do” – Mouth And Macneal
  • “I Had It All The Time” – Tyrone Davis
  • “Life And Breath” – Climax
  • “Love Theme From The Godfather” – Nino Rota
  • “Nice To Be With You” – Gallery
  • “Powder Blue Mercedes Queen” – Raiders
  • “Questions” – Bang
  • “Song Sung Blue” – Neil Diamond
  • “Superwoman” – Stevie Wonder
  • “Sylvia’s Mother” – Dr. Hook And The Medicine Show
  • “Taxi” – Harry Chapin
  • “The Young New Mexican Puppeteer” – Tom Jones
  • “Troglodyte” – Jimmy Castor Bunch
  • “Tumbling Dice” – Rolling Stones
  • “Upsetter” – Grand Funk Railroad
  • “Walkin’ In The Rain With The One I Love” – Love Unlimited
  • “We’re Free” – Beverly Bremers
  • “Woman Is The Nigger Of The World” – John Lennon
  • “Woman’s Gotta Have It” – Bobby Womack
  • “You Said A Bad Word” – Joe Tex
  • “You’re The Man” – Marvin Gaye

Leave ’em

  • “Giving Up” – Donny Hathaway
  • “I Can’t Turn You Loose” – Edgar Winter’s White Trash
  • “Jubilation” – Paul Anka
  • “Speak Softly Love” – Al Martino

Now go listen to the full playlist on Youtube via this link.

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